NICE recommends shorter courses of antibiotics to fight resistance

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended shorter courses of antibiotics in an effort to cut down on overuse and the risk of antibiotic resistant infections.

The announcement follows a study of 931,015 primary care consultations in England which took place between 2013 and 2015 and ended in an antibiotic prescription. People receiving antibiotics in the study were found to be being prescribed courses that were longer than NICE’s recommended guidance.

The study, published in the BMJ, shows that on average people are spending an extra two days on antibiotics for bronchitis and an extra four days for acute cystitis. This totals to an extra 1.3 million days on antibiotics between the study’s period, highlighting overuse and its contribution towards antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Earlier this year, the UK government published its action plan towards how it will address AMR, which included cutting down on antibiotic use by 15% by 2025.

NICE and Public Health England have jointly published antimicrobial prescribing guidelines for a range of common infections. NICE has also published guidance on antimicrobial stewardship in the hope to change prescribing practice and advise practitioners, carers and the general public to protect current antibiotics and ensure their effectivity for years to come.

Dr Tessa Lewis, GP and chair of the managing common infections guidance committee, said: “This study provides a useful insight into antibiotic prescribing in general practice. As a GP the decision about whether to prescribe an antibiotic can be complex, however deciding on the course length is usually more straightforward, especially for respiratory infections. It can be a challenge keeping up to date with changing guidance, so this study is a reminder for prescribers to check their current practice. Course length is an important area for antimicrobial stewardship."